Posts Tagged ‘natural gas’

Karen Kelich is aSocial Media Administrator at the International Trade Administration’s office at the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv.

Recent natural gas discoveries in Israel could help the country become an energy exporter.

The State of Israel, once an energy-scarce nation among the Middle Eastern oil giants, is on the brink of a historic shift. The implications of the 2009 discovery of the Tamar natural gas field, along with the much larger Leviathan field discovery in 2010, are such that Israel now faces a future as an energy producer in its own right with the potential to become an exporter.

The workforce needed to build this industry is substantial. A wide range of professionals, from legal and commercial to technical and scientific, is required for sustainable industry development. That means job creation and economic benefits for the country as a whole.

It also presents an excellent opportunity for U.S. businesses with experience in the energy industry.

This will bring the best and brightest in natural gas skills training to support Israel’s entry into the industry. Representatives of American companies can register for the event, potentially making connections and learning about future export opportunities. No nation can provide more experience and expertise to support Israel as its natural gas industry develops.

We’ve also invited a number of academics from the leading petroleum engineering programs in the United States to participate in the event. Engineering is the second most common subject foreign students study in the United States, and we hope to attract some aspiring engineers to American universities for their studies. This helps support another important American export sector.

As American companies participate in Israel’s natural gas energy movement, we know they can help Israel to safely and effectively take advantage of its natural resources. That not only helps support American exports, it also supports the Israeli economy. It creates jobs, furthers education, and supports growth.

It deepens the relationship between the United States and one of its strongest allies.

This conference will create excellent opportunities for Israeli companies, regulators and educational institutions to learn about the skills necessary to work in this exciting industry and for international training providers to market their services to a dynamic new market. We look forward to supporting the even, and we are excited to see how it furthers the American commercial relationship with our Middle Eastern friend.